Leadership - A discussion of traits, characteristics, and current news of leaders.

Leading a company that has a market value of $60 billion and nearly 6,000 employees must tempt a leader to imagine that he is invincible, beyond reproach and due some spoils for such genius and hard work. In the case of Enron, this attitude was brought on by the power, money, and prestige of such success and proved to be the poison that took $60 billion to zero, left the employees without a job or pension and now finds Lay and Skilling headed for an extended stay at the big house. Enron, Lay and Skilling have come to represent corporate greed, wrong-doing and deceit.

The aggressiveness, commanding presence and intellect that carried them to the executive suite contributed to their conviction. Viewed under a different light, many leadership and character traits did not impress a jury of middle-class citizens. Such smart capable men, suffered from a lack of credibility. The Washington Post reports,

“Jurors in the Enron trial made it clear that it would have been better for former executives Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling if they'd kept their mouths shut and stayed off the witness stand. Speaking shortly after a federal judge read their verdict, jurors said Lay's indignant outbursts while testifying in his own behalf made him seem "that he very much wanted to be in control -- he commanded the courtroom," said Wendy Vaughan, a Houston business owner."He was very focused, but he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder that made me question his character," she said.

As for Skilling, who spent days explaining the tedious financial inner workings of the once high-flying energy company, the jurors couldn't understand how he could know so much about that and not be aware of illegal business maneuvering, whether or not he was responsible for it personally.”

Character and integrity. They matter. Despite genius, hard work and an ability to attract followers, a leader cannot ultimately succeed with out them. The following found its way into the trial often. It sums up the case and the man.

                                                          - Kenneth Lay

The Moderate Voice provides some excellent commentary. Read more at the New York Times.